[MosesKnows]

Just thinking

Just thinking wondering.

What is the difference between flammable and inflammable?

Why is freight in a ship called cargo
but
freight in a railroad car is called a shipment?

[Olog-hai]

“Flammable, inflammable . . . and non-flammable. Why are there three? Don’t you think two ought to serve the purpose? Either the thing flams, or it doesn’t flam!”

— George Carlin

FWIH, “flammable” came about because truckers thought that “inflammable” meant the opposite of what it actually meant.

And apparently, cargo has the same root etymology as the words car and cart, meaning it was originally specifically transported by wheeled vehicles.